Anime’s three “building” categories

An interesting thought occurred to me recently in terms of how anime series are structured. It seems that most anime series focus on “building” one out of three narrative aspects – either building the story, building the characters, or building the world. Some focus on two out of three, a few manage to focus equally on all three – but it’s intriguing to think about which of the three each series is most concerned with…

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Trying to grasp Mawaru Penguindrum

Credit to linked pixiv user

Along with Madoka and Steins;Gate, Mawaru Penguindrum has been one of the most praised anime of 2011. Of course, there are plenty of people who don’t like it, but it seems like the fans of it are the ones making the most buzz. Having seen and loved director Kunihiko Ikuhara’s other famous work, Revolutionary Girl Utena, I had high hopes for Penguindrum as well. I liked the series well enough in its early episodes, confident in the fact that the confusing things would “be explained later.” So now that it’s over, why do I feel so…dissatisfied?

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First impressions of the summer ’11 anime I’m watching

Credit to linked pixiv user

Unlike the spring ’11 season where it took me a while to decide what to watch, this summer I feel like I’ve decided on too many to watch XD Here are my opinions on what I’ve seen as of now…

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